Zoysiagrass plant ‘TMX’

ABSTRACT

The present culivar ‘TMX’ ( Zoysia matrella  Merr.) advantageously has a very slow growing rate in terms of plant height as compared with existing cultivars and requires mowing not more than once a year so as to be maintained in fair condition and allows the amount of fertilizer to be reduced. It also has a high-level of shade tolerance.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: The present invention relates to the species Zoysia matrella Merr.

Variety denomination: ‘TMX’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a new and distinct perennial variety of Zoysiagrass asexually reproduced and selected.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Zoysiagrass cultivar (Zoysia matrella Merr.) named ‘TMX’.

Zoysiagrass is a popular lawn grass which has been widely used as greening turf. The turf thereof, however, should be mowed 3 to 5 times per year so as to be maintained in beautiful condition. Since the newly developed ‘TMX’ advantageously has a very slow growing rate in terms of plant height as compared with conventional cultivars, mowing is required not more than once a year to maintain fair condition and the amount of fertilizer can be reduced to almost less than half. Therefore, labors and cost necessary for maintenance of the turf as well as clipping from lawn-mowing can be reduced. Furthermore, the cultivar can be readily grown in a place where a lawnmower cannot be conveniently used, such as on a rooftop of a building. In addition, ‘TMX’ has superior shade tolerance to that of a conventional cultivar, and thus can be raised even in a place with insufficient sunlight exposure.

In addition, it is expected that prevalence of ‘TMX’ facilitates greening of the rooftop and schoolyard and leads to alleviation of heat island phenomenon and reduction of the amount of CO₂.

For purposes of registration under the “International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants” (generally known by its French acronym as the UPOV Convention) and noting sections 1612 of the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure, it is proposed that the new variety of Zoysiagrass of the present invention be named ‘TMX’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS

FIG. 1 is a set of photographs comparing spikestems of control cultivars and the present cultivar (‘TMX’) (Left: Emerald; Middle: TM9; Right: ‘TMX’). Photographed on May 22, 2006 in Nishikamo-gun, Aichi, Japan.

FIG. 2 is a set of photographs comparing grass shapes of control cultivars and the present cultivar (‘TMX’) (Upper: Emerald; Middle: TM9; Lower: ‘TMX’). Photographed on May 12, 2006 in Nishikamo-gun, Aichi, Japan.

FIG. 3 is a set of photographs comparing stolons of control cultivars and the present cultivar (‘TMX’) (Upper: Emerald; Middle: TM9; Lower: ‘TMX’). Photographed on Oct. 20, 2005 in Nishikamo-gun, Aichi, Japan.

FIG. 4 is a photograph showing a full view of test field for the present cultivar (‘TMX’) ((1): Individually planted plot of Emerald; (2): Individually planted plot of TM9; (3); Individually planted plot of ‘TMX’). Photographed on Sep. 25, 2006 in Nishikamo-gun, Aichi, Japan.

FIG. 5 is a set of photographs comparing control cultivars and the present cultivar (‘TMX’) in terms of plant vigor in fall (Upper: Emerald; Middle: TM9; Lower: ‘TMX’). Photographed on Nov. 13, 2006 in Nishikamo-gun, Aichi, Japan.

FIG. 6 is a photograph showing culture of control cultivars and the present cultivar (‘TMX’) in a shade tolerance test with the use of a light-shading net. Photographed on Sep. 7, 2006 in Nishikamo-gun, Aichi, Japan.

FIG. 7 is a graph showing the relative amounts of growth with 75% light shielding in a shade tolerance test (light shielding/untreated plots).

FIG. 8 is a set of photographs comparing grass shapes after culture in a shade tolerance test (Panel (1): untreated plots; Panel (2): light shielding plots) (Left: Emerald; Middle: TM9; Right: ‘TMX’ in Panels (1) and (2)). Photographed on Sep. 7, 2006 in Nishikamo-gun, Aichi, Japan.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

-   1. Characteristics of the plant body of the present invention -   1) Overview

Self-fertile seeds (50,000 seeds) of a lawn cultivar ‘TM9’ (Zoysia matrella Merr.) were seeded (June 2003), 70 individuals exhibiting short plant height as pot seedlings were selected from the germinated individuals (in the year 2003), and 6 individuals were selected from among these seedlings based on their growing properties as a pot seedling (in the year 2004). They were planted in a field and an outdoor cultivation test was initiated (in the year 2005). The present cultivar was obtained after completion of cultivation tests in various locations throughout Japan (completed in the year 2006). Characteristics of the present cultivar are as follows: extremely creeping plant form; spikestem of medium-sized thickness and short length; dense stolons of medium-sized thickness; leaves of very short length, very narrow leaf width, and a yellowish green leaf color; short spike length and grayed purple spike color; medium spikelet length, narrow spikelet width, and a small number of spikelets; moderate initial growth; moderate plant vigor in spring and good plant vigor in fall; medium (not early nor late) timing in spike-sprouting; spike-sprouting only in spring with a medium number of spikes; medium (not early nor late) timing in turning green; medium (not early nor late) timing in turning red; medium winter hardiness; good summer tolerance; strong shade tolerance; medium drought tolerance; medium salinity tolerance; and medium tread pressure resistance.

-   2) Comparison with control cultivars (Table 1)

TABLE 1 Present cultivar Item Trait ‘TMX’ 1 Height Height of mature plant Low (2.0 cm) 2 Plant Plant Extremely creeping 3 Stem Thickness of Medium (0.7 mm) spikestem Length of Short (2 cm) spikestem 4 Stolon Density of stolons Dense Internode length 18 mm of stolon Thickness of stolon Medium (1.0 mm) 5 Foliage Leaf length Extremely short (1 cm) Leaf width Extremely narrow (1.2 mm) Leaf color 141C: Strong (Whole leaf yellowish green group including both sides, apex and margin) 6 Spike Spike length Short (12 mm) Spike color 183A: Grayed purple group Spike diameter 2 mm Spikelet length Medium (2.7 mm) Spikelet width Narrow (0.8 mm) Number of spikelet Few (17) 7 Initial growth Initial growth Medium 8 Plant vigor Plant vigor in spring Moderate Plant vigor in fall Good 9 Spike- Beginning of Medium sprouting time spike-sprouting (not early nor late) 10 Spike- Spike-sprouting Spike-sprouting only sprouting in spring/fall in spring properties Number of Medium spikes (100-150 spike/m²) 11 Growing Timing to turn Medium period green (not early nor late) Timing to turn Medium red (not early nor late) 12 Winter Good/Bad in Medium hardiness winter hardiness 13 Summer Good/Bad in summer Good tolerance tolerance 14 Environ- Shade tolerance Strong mental Drought Medium tolerance tolerance Salinity Medium tolerance 15 Tread Tread pressure Medium pressure resistance resistance Control cultivar Item Trait ‘Emerald’ ‘TM9’ 1 Height Height of High (14.0 cm) Middle (5.7 mature plant cm) 2 Plant Plant Intermediate Creeping 3 Stem Thickness of Medium Medium spikestem (0.7 mm) (0.7 mm) Length of Medium (5 cm) Short (2 cm) spikestem 4 Stolon Density of Dense Extremely stolons dense Internode 22 mm 19 mm length of stolon Thickness of Medium Medium stolon (1.1 mm) (1.1 mm) 5 Foliage Leaf length Short (8 cm) Extremely short to short (4 cm) Leaf width Narrow Narrow (1.6 mm) (1.8 mm) Leaf color 144A: Yellow 137A: green (Whole leaf green group group including both sides, apex and margin) 6 Spike Spike length Short (17 mm) Short (14 mm) Spike color 183A: 183A: Grayed purple Grayed purple group group Spike diameter 2 mm 2 mm Spikelet length Medium (3.2 mm) Medium (2.8 mm) Spikelet width Medium (1.2 mm) Medium (1.1 mm) Number of Few (16) Few (17) spikelet 7 Initial Initial growth Medium Medium growth 8 Plant Plant vigor in Moderate Moderate vigor spring Plant vigor in Good Good fall 9 Spike- Beginning of Medium Medium sprout- spike-sprouting (not early (not early ing time nor late) nor late) 10 Spike- Spike-sprouting Spike- Spike- sprout- in spring/fall sprouting only sprouting only ing pro- in spring in spring perties Number of Medium Many spikes (100-150 (150-200 spike/m²) spike/m²) 11 Grow- Timing to turn Medium Medium ing green (not early (not early period nor late) nor late) Timing to turn Medium Medium red (not early (not early nor late) nor late) 12 Winter Good/Bad in Medium Medium hardi- winter hardiness ness 13 Summer Good/Bad in Good Good toler- summer ance tolerance 14 Envi- Shade tolerance Medium Medium ronmen- Drought Medium Medium tal toler- tolerance ance Salinity Medium Medium tolerance 15 Tread Tread pressure Medium Medium pressure resistance resistance Colors are based on the RHS color chart.

-   3) Other characteristics of the plant body of the present invention     -   -   Length of internode.—18 mm.         -   Diameter of internode.—1.0 mm.         -   Blade villus.—Hairs absent on adaxial and abaxial leaf             surface.         -   Ligule hair.—0.1 mm in length, continuously.         -   Color of anther.—183D grayed purple group.         -   Color of stigma.—8C reverse yellow group.         -   Average number of florets per raceme.—17.         -   Total length of culm up to the node immediately below the             flag leaf (including the flower portion).—1.4 cm.         -   Length of stalk of inflorescence.—0.7 cm.         -   Length of flower portion.—1.2 cm.         -   Color of mature spikelet.—161D grayed yellow green group.         -   Color of stolon.—60B red purple group and 144D yellow group. -   4) Sensitivity to diseases or insect pests ‘TMX’ did not exhibit     sensitivity to diseases or insect pests that are generally found in     plants of the Zoysia genus over 21 months starting from April in     2005 in Japan. -   *Notes:     -   -   Type of plant.—lawn.         -   Name of the applied cultivar.—‘TMX’.         -   Cultivator.—Kunio Matsui.         -   Address of the applicant.—1 Toyota-Cho, Toyota-shi, Aichi,             Japan.         -   Cultivation site.—Nishikamo-gun, Toyota-shi, Aichi, Japan             (Latitude:N 35° 08′ 06″; Longitude: E 137° 05′ 59″).         -   Place where characteristics research was             conducted.—Nishikamo-gun, Toyota-shi, Aichi, Japan             (Latitude: N 35° 08′ 06″; Longitude: E 137° 05′ 59″).         -   Name of researcher who conducted characteristics             research.—Kunio Matsui.         -   Period when characteristics research was             conducted.—2005-2006.         -   Control cultivar (most approximate cultivar).—‘TM9’ . -   5) Characteristics by which the present cultivar is distinguished     from the control cultivars -   a) Control cultivars ‘Emerald’ ‘TM9’ -   b) Distinguishing characteristics

The present cultivar can be distinguished from ‘Emerald’ in that the present cultivar has a low height (2.0 cm) (whereas ‘Emerald’ has a high height (14.0 cm)); an extremely creeping plant form (whereas ‘Emerald’ has an intermediate plant form); short-length spikestems (2 cm) (whereas ‘Emerald’ has medium-length spikestems (5 cm)); very short leaves (1 cm) (whereas ‘Emerald’ has short leaves (8 cm)); an extremely narrow leaf width (1.2 mm) (whereas ‘Emerald’ has a narrow leaf width (1.6 mm)); a strong yellowish green leaf color (141C) (whereas ‘Emerald’ has a yellow green leaf color (144A)); a narrow spikelet width (0.8 mm) (whereas ‘Emerald’ has a medium spikelet width (1.2 mm)); and a strong shade tolerance (whereas ‘Emerald’ has a medium shade tolerance).

The present cultivar can be distinguished from ‘TM9’ in that the present cultivar has a low height (2.0 cm) (whereas ‘TM9’ has a medium height (5.7 cm)); an extremely creeping plant form (whereas ‘TM9’ has a creeping plant form); dense stolons (whereas ‘TM9’ has extremely dense stolons); very short leaves (1 cm) (whereas ‘TM9’ has short to extremely short leaves (4 cm)); an extremely narrow leaf width (1.2 mm) (whereas ‘TM9’ has a narrow leaf width (1.8 mm)); a strong yellowish green leaf color (141C) (whereas ‘TM9’ has a green leaf color (137A)); a narrow spikelet width (0.8 mm) (whereas ‘TM9’ has a medium spikelet width (1.1 mm)); a medium number of spikes (whereas ‘TM9’ has a large number of spikes); and a strong shade tolerance (whereas ‘TM9’ has a moderate shade tolerance).

-   6) Cultivation conditions for characteristic research experiment of     above 1) to 5)     -   -   a Cultivation site.—Nishikamo-gun, Aichi, Japan (Latitude: N             35° 08′ 06″; Longitude: E 137° 05′ 59″).         -   b Cultivation time and period.—21 months from April, 2005.         -   c Cultivation method.—(Examples: cultivation style such as             on bare ground, in a facility, field planting or pot             planting, cultivation scale, etc.).

Pot seedlings reproduced by cutting rootstocks and stolons and planting them in soil were raised in greenhouse for two months and fix planted on bare ground in April along with control cultivars in order to perform a characteristic research experiment. Five individuals (triplicates) were fix planted at a density of one seedling per an area of 200 cm × 200 cm in an individually planted plot while they were fix planted in triplicates at a density of one seedling per an area of 15 cm × 15 cm in a dense plated test plot having an area of 150 cm × 150 cm thereby performing a characteristic research experiment.

-   7) Shade tolerance test     -   -   a) Test method.—Three pot seedlings (pot diameter: 12 cm) of             each of ‘Emerald’, ‘TM9’, and ‘TMX’ were raised under 75%             light shielding with a light-shading net for approximately 2             months from July 6 to September 7 in 2007 in Nishikamo-gun,             Aichi, Japan (Latitude: N 35° 08′ 06″; Longitude: E 137° 05′             59″) (FIG. 6). In addition, three pot seedlings of each of             the above cultivars were raised under conditions without the             use of a light-shielding net (untreated plot). The aerial             portions of each cultivar were mowed. Then, the mean value             of the weights of the mowed parts of three pot seedlings             that had been raised while covered with a light-shading net             was divided by a mean value of the weights of the mowed             parts of three pot seedlings in the untreated plot. Thus,             the relative amount of growth was calculated.         -   b) Results.—The seedlings of ‘Emerald’ and ‘TM9’ that had             been raised with light shielding grew to an extent             comparable to that of those in the untreated plot.             Meanwhile, the amount of growth of the seedlings of ‘TMX’             that had been raised with light shielding was approximately             1.6 times greater than that of those in the untreated plot             (FIG. 7). In addition, the leaf length became longer in the             case of every cultivar raised with light shielding. However,             no abnormalities in leaves or the like were found (FIG. 8).

Accordingly, the shade tolerance of ‘TMX’ was likely to be stronger than that of ‘Emerald’ and of ‘TM9’.

-   2. Reproduction method     -   -   Vegetative propagation.—Rootstocks, stolons, tillers, and             turf. -   3. Conditions of keeping and storage the plant having identifiable     characteristics     -   -   Place where the plant is maintained and/or             stored.—Nishikamo-gun, Aichi, Japan (Latitude: N 35° 08′             06″; Longitude: E 137° 05′ 59″).         -   Method of maintenance/storage.—pot planting and ground             planting. -   4. History of cultivating the present cultivar     -   -   1) Material of new cultivar.—Self-fertile seed of ‘TM9’             (Zoysia matrella Merr.).         -   2) Cultivation site.—Nishikamo-gun in Aichi, Japan             (Latitude: N 35° 08′ 06″; Longitude: E 137° 05′ 59″).         -   3) History of cultivating the cultivar.

Self-fertile seeds of ‘TM9’ were seeded in June, 2003, and individuals exhibiting short plant height as pot seedlings were selected from the germinated individuals. The thus selected lines were reproduced by root separation asexually in April 2004 and the uniformity of these vegetative propagated lines was respectively confirmed in greenhouse by January, 2005. Newly root separated lines (January 2005) were fix planted in a field in April 2005. A line exhibiting a short leaf length and a satisfactory initial growth was selected and the stability thereof was confirmed to complete the cultivating of the new cultivar on Dec. 28, 2006. All cultivating was done at the above-noted cultivation site.

-   5. Main use of the present cultivar The present cultivar can be used     for ground covering of a park, garden, etc. -   6. Other items in relation to the cultivation of the present     cultivar     -   -   1) Applicable area.—Warm area.         -   2) Specific cultivation site in Japan Address (Zip code.             470-0201).—1099 Kurozasa-Marune, Miyoshi-machi,             Nishikamo-gun, Aichi, Japan (Latitude: N 35°08′ 06″;             Longitude: E 137° 05′ 59″) -   3) Cultivation style: Normal cultivation. Bare ground. Seasons     suitable for seeding, planting, etc.     -   -   Other reproduction method.—Vegetative propagation by stolons             from the beginning of April to the beginning of May/year             round Blooming season, harvest season, and any other seasons             in cultivation stage suitable for specifying characteristics             of the present cultivar.         -   Blooming season.—from the beginning to the end of May /year             round.         -   Greening season.—from the end of April to the end of             October/year round. -   4) Other items to be mentioned for the cultivation of the present     cultivar

The present cultivar is extremely creeping in plant form and short in leaf length, which allows weeds readily to grow. Frequent weeding is therefore required.

-   7. Other Information

When the present cultivar is allowed freely to grow, the plant height (i.e. the height from the ground to the tip of the leaf blade) is as about ¼ of that of ‘Emerald’ and half of that of ‘TM9’.

The variety ‘TMX’ produces seeds, but is not propagated by seed. The number of seed per plant, seed length, seed width and generic color of seed correspond to the number of spikelets, spikelet length, spikelet width and spike color, respectively. 

1. A new and distinctive variety of Zoysia matrella Merr. plant named ‘TMX’ as illustrated and described in the present specification. 